Mujuru turns down Zanu PF

HARARE - Amid stunning revelations that the Zanu PF faction behind President Robert Mugabe’s embattled deputy, Emmerson Mnangagwa, is reaching out to former Vice President Joice Mujuru and her followers, the widow of the late liberation struggle icon, General Solomon Mujuru, says the idea is “a non-starter”.

Addressing the leadership of her movement, People First, from Matabeleland South province last week, Mujuru vowed that she would never go back to Zanu PF, insisting that “that chapter of my life that had something to do with Zanu PF is a closed one”.

“I know you have heard some people saying she will go back to Zanu PF. Get it from me, kuZanu PF hakudzokwi. Hakuna chiriko (There is no chance of me going back to Zanu PF. There is nothing there)”, she told her lively audience.

Mujuru said when Mugabe was hurling insults and “all manner of accusations” at her, she had kept quiet because she was convinced that she had heard God’s voice telling her to let it be and move on with her life.

Drawing lessons from the biblical Lot who was commanded by God to move out of Sodom and never turn back, lest he would turn into a heap of salt, Mujuru said it was clear to her the message from God was to move out of Zanu PF and never go back to the warring party.

“God used him (Mugabe) and his wife (Grace) to communicate with me that the time to be with the people had come. If his subordinates or someone junior had communicated that message, I probably wouldn’t have heard it the way I did.

“Like Lot, I was told to get out of the party and never look back.

“That is the reason I never answered back to the insults. I know a lot of you really got angry about all that abuse.

“I was thrust on a tree-top and undressed in front of the whole nation, in front of my children, grandchildren, brothers, sisters, friends and in-laws. It was embarrassing, but in all this, I could hear God’s voice”, Mujuru said with conviction.

She added that it was “revealing” that Zanu PF’s deadly factional and succession wars had exploded after she was hounded out of the party.

“Some people have been telling me that I was the glue that was holding Zanu PF together because the moment I was sacked, the party imploded.

“The fact that the party imploded shows clearly that I was never the problem. Those that were accusing me of all sorts of things are the problem and as long as they are there, Zanu PF will continue to disintegrate”, Mujuru said with a chuckle and seeming relief.

She said she always knew that it would be a matter of time before Zanu PF’s implosion became “visible to all Zimbabweans” as the cracks within the party had become so wide that they could no longer be papered over — one of the reasons why she and her colleagues in People First had taken their time to launch the party.

“We wanted Zimbabweans to see for themselves what was happening. We said why rush (to form a party)? Now we are hearing there is Team Lacoste and G40. Yet all along they were saying we were the problem.

“Now it’s clear to all and sundry that we were never the problem and that this is the best time for us to form our party. People are now clear about who is the problem,” Mujuru said.

“And here is the remarkable thing, it feels good to meet with the people without bodyguards. When I came back from the liberation struggle and was given a ministry, it disconnected me from the people until I was demoted to being governor of Mashonaland Central.

“That demotion reconnected me with the people and I enjoyed it. I became part of the community. I spent time with them, dressed like them and ate what they ate and when I was made minister again, I had no dress in my wardrobe that was executive. That’s how far it had gone and I thanked God for reconnecting me with the people,” she said.

Mujuru added that she was once again in a similar situation and she was enjoying every bit of it.

“God said it’s good to be vice president, but now go back to the people without bodyguards, be part of the people. This is God’s decision and I said I was not going to question it. That’s why I didn’t get angry with him (Mugabe).

“I knew God was ordering me to be with the people and all I could do was oblige,” she said revealing that the meetings she was currently having with people had both energised and emboldened her to work for the betterment of all Zimbabweans.

The Daily News on Sunday’s sister paper, the Daily News, reported authoritatively last week that with the Zanu PF faction behind Mnangagwa feeling the heat of the ruling party’s seemingly-unstoppable factional and succession wars, the camp was now reaching out to Mujuru and her followers.

Zanu PF insiders told the country’s leading daily — which has consistently and accurately reported on the ugly goings-on in the ruling party over the past five years — that the Mnangagwa faction was feeling so “squeezed” that it was desperately trying to lure back to the ruling party, liberation struggle stalwarts who had been purged from the party on claims of working with Mujuru.

“The wheel is turning. Who would have anticipated that Team Lacoste would one day wish that Gamatox (Mujuru camp) was still within the family fold (Zanu PF). But that is precisely what is happening now as they are desperate to augment their forces,” a party bigwig said.

The Daily News was also told that among the resolutions that were made at the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA)’s meeting that was controversially held at the Presidential Guard military barracks in Harare last week was a decision to approach all war veterans who are working with other political movements such as People First — a move that was confirmed by ZNLWVA secretary-general, Victor Matemadanda.

“We resolved to follow up on war veterans who left Zanu PF to join other parties for various reasons, especially those who have gone to People First. We want to reorganise ourselves under the leadership of president Mugabe,” Matemadanda said.

While Matemadanda was reluctant to give the names of the war veterans that the pro-Mnangagwa ZNLWVA were hoping to bring back within its fold, there has been a growing belief within both camps of the Zanu PF war that Mujuru and her allies “are better devils” than their present party opponents.

All this is happening as insiders say Mugabe is in a pickle over how to handle and end the ruling party’s internal wars, pointing to his “tepid” statement when he returned from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia a fortnight ago where he handed over the chairmanship of the African Union.

Well-placed ruling party sources said Mugabe was caught “between a rock and a hard place” as both of the two main factions brawling for supremacy in the former liberation movement boasted of having some of his most trusted lieutenants within their ranks.

“I don’t envy his position at all as he is being asked to choose between a faction linked to Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, whom he has known for five decades, and the other which appears to enjoy the backing of Dr Amai (his wife Grace) and Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko.

“Clearly, therefore, Gushungo is caught between a rock and a hard place and hence his unusually tepid speech on the worsening fights in the party when he returned from Addis Ababa. I suspect that things will get worse before they get better,” a politburo member said resignedly.

Comments (26)

What foolowers?from whr?zanu does not merge wth an individual.this is fa tacy thinking.if at all yu may hv bn asked to come back to zanu and do yo punishment wthin zanu.not mugabe n mnangagwa calling for help frm yu ?how?sisi dont forget yu jumped ngwena when yu wr appointed vp,bt ngwena neva complained.he never broke away.he was made a minister reporting to yu and he did.yu wuld summon him to yo office and he wuld oblige.bt yu wr far too junior to him from moza to independence n after.now the structure has been relooked into to save the party by apointing ,rightfully,mnangagwa as vice president,yu cry n run.yu.know those 2 frm moza.dont waste yo tyme sisi,comeback musoro pasi moti sorry.

viola gwena - 8 February 2016

Ina report I read yesterday the Top Man fingered blame on all this factionalism on the former Rhodesians whom he alleged had a hand in it? Whites and Rhodesians, according to the Top Man seem to be the prime source of all our problems and woes including the droughts and the failed economy? For how much longer are we going to continue believing this absolute rubbish? The words, "She is a traitor" cam from the mouth of the First Lady in reference to Mai Mujuru, not any white boy? All the foul words used to describe the Gamatix team came from the Top Man and his First Lady, so how can they now expect us to believe that the Rhodesians are behind the mess we now find ourselves in. In fact so putrid have been some of the accusations that I very much doubt whether anyone in their right mind, including some of those still in the Mugabe camp can or ever will trust them again. They have upset too many good people, individuals who were so committed to the unity of the party? Doing so they have way over stepped the mark and will one day suffer the consequences of their ugly and painful words.

White Colonial Boy - 8 February 2016

Ina report I read yesterday the Top Man fingered blame on all this factionalism on the former Rhodesians whom he alleged had a hand in it? Whites and Rhodesians, according to the Top Man seem to be the prime source of all our problems and woes including the droughts and the failed economy? For how much longer are we going to continue believing this absolute rubbish? The words, "She is a traitor" cam from the mouth of the First Lady in reference to Mai Mujuru, not any white boy? All the foul words used to describe the Gamatix team came from the Top Man and his First Lady, so how can they now expect us to believe that the Rhodesians are behind the mess we now find ourselves in. In fact so putrid have been some of the accusations that I very much doubt whether anyone in their right mind, including some of those still in the Mugabe camp can or ever will trust them again. They have upset too many good people, individuals who were so committed to the unity of the party? Doing so they have way over stepped the mark and will one day suffer the consequences of their ugly and painful words.

White Colonial Boy - 8 February 2016

Believe me you all, there is absolutely nothing that the ageing Mugabe will do on Jonathan Moyo. Mugabe knows that without Moyo, ZANU is doomed to hell. Moyo also knows that he is the winning ace in ZANU as a party. No one else has qualitative brains that can cause it to stand and win elections. All the other zanu leaders know is use of violence from solders and war veterans in order to win elections. Now that solders still have sentimental attachment to their war-time leader Mujuru, it means Mugabe must be having sleepless nights. The use of violence is very unreliable this time around. It is a matter of time before Mugabe and Grace see that politics can be as sour as undiluted paprika. As each second passes, Grace gets closer to her time of world reality. Mark my words. To Grace, I know right now you cannot believe it as your brains can nowbe accurately understood given your recent public speaches please prepare for a cruelpast Mugabe political aura - directed to yourselves.

Danai Pazvagozha - 8 February 2016

The wheels of life.. 11years down the line Mujuru finds herself in the Mat-south province, the place that she refused to meet a comunity back then, insisting that there was nothing that befits her status as VP , that can be associated with her. I have failed to understand why, being a minister or higher office renders one , disconnected to society which she must work for. Hakuchina chiriko " there was never anything in the first place at zanu pf. Mujuru is seeking support to get higher office and get disconnected again.. I say no to that.

X-MAN IV - 8 February 2016

we are cursed as a people in zim. when we think we are all now coming to an end of this regime's madness there appears amongst us running dogs like viola gwena who are desperately trying to prop up a regime that will never remain on its feet again. viola, God is in control and no amount of your ranting and raving will save this part from collapsing

mhofu - 8 February 2016

we are cursed as a people in zim. when we think we are all now coming to an end of this regime's madness there appears amongst us running dogs like viola gwena who are desperately trying to prop up a regime that will never remain on its feet again. viola, God is in control and no amount of your ranting and raving will save this part from collapsing

mhofu - 8 February 2016

Mugabe is the architect of factionalism. As long as the geriatric Mugabe is there, there will be factionalism in Zanu PF. He does that to augment his power, in other words for selfish gain.

there is nothing special or new about teurai. she displayed arrogance and her penchant for materials between 1980 and when she was cashiered from zanu in 2014. the igbos say that you cannot teach an oldman to use the left hand. there is nothing that we change in the mentality of current and former zanu cadres... they are liars, murderers and looters who care not about development and the plight of the masses. VIVA SAVE 2018!!!

josphat mugadzaweta - 9 February 2016

Quite interesting how some of our people reason. Who, of the opposition leaders can claim not to have been Zanu PF members before. It's a question of being disillusioned so i see no good reason why people should be skeptical about Dr Mujuru.

Titus - 9 February 2016

mai mujuru ndizvo. she certainly looks presidential material. very moderate in her approach. never talking unnecessarily like the handiende mt. she has the support of other african leader, the west and the far east. come 2018, my vote is with jm.

zvirozviyedzwa - 9 February 2016

Zvizviyedzwa. You are on the money with your asertions other than she and her followers need to club together with the other fragments of the opposition.Then and only then is there a chance of unsurping the Zpfers methinks.

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